# Aviation insurance in Germany: keeper liability is compulsory, the rest is your call > If you keep an aircraft in Germany, from a paraglider to a single-engine aeroplane, you must hold liability insurance. German aviation law makes the keeper liable even without fault. Hull cover for the aircraft itself, passenger liability and accident cover are added depending on what you fly and how. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-aviation-insurance.php Updated: 2026-11-11 ## Is aviation insurance compulsory in Germany? Keeper liability is. Section 43 of the German Aviation Act (LuftVG) obliges the keeper of an aircraft to insure liability for damage to third parties, and section 102 of the Air Traffic Licensing Regulations (LuftVZO) sets out the contract. The minimum sum depends on maximum take-off mass: below 500 kg it is 750,000 units of account, roughly EUR 900,000. Carrying passengers requires separate cover. Hull and accident insurance are voluntary. ## At a glance - **Mandatory?:** Keeper liability yes, section 43 LuftVG and section 102 LuftVZO - **Minimum cover:** by take-off mass, below 500 kg 750,000 units of account, roughly EUR 900,000 - **Liability:** strict liability: the keeper is liable even without fault - **Passengers:** at least 250,000 units of account per passenger, section 103 LuftVZO - **Voluntary:** hull cover for the aircraft and accident cover for pilot and occupants ## Why the keeper pays even when nobody made a mistake German law treats aircraft more strictly than almost anything else people use in their spare time. If a bystander is harmed while the aircraft is in operation, the keeper is liable under sections 33 and following of the Aviation Act, whether or not anyone was at fault. In return, section 37 caps that liability, graded by maximum take-off mass. Because this can hit any keeper, section 43 makes insurance compulsory. That applies to air sports equipment as well as registered aeroplanes: once a paraglider leaves the ground it is an aircraft in operation, and the insurance duty applies. The policy must be with an insurer authorised to do business in Germany, which is worth knowing if you arrive with cover from home. ## The minimum sums: a European scale in German law The scale comes from Regulation (EC) No 785/2004 and is mirrored in section 37 of the Aviation Act. For third-party damage it is 0.75 million Special Drawing Rights below 500 kg maximum take-off mass, 3 million below 2,700 kg and 7 million below 6,000 kg. A Special Drawing Right is a unit of account of the International Monetary Fund, and its value in euros moves. For passengers the regulation requires at least 250,000 Special Drawing Rights per person, and section 103 of the Licensing Regulations states the same figure. These are floors. A serious injury can exceed them, which is why many policies carry flat limits of several million euros. ## Paragliders, ultralights, gliders, powered aircraft: how cover is arranged Paraglider and hang glider pilots usually insure through a group policy run by their association, something the Licensing Regulations expressly allow for unpowered air sports equipment. For ultralights, gliders and powered aircraft an individual policy is the norm, often a combined single limit (CSL) that covers third parties and passengers under one sum. Club aircraft are insured by the club as keeper. If you rent or fly someone else's aircraft, find out before take-off whether you are covered as pilot and who pays for damage to the aircraft itself. Keeper liability never pays for the aircraft you fly. ## Hull, passengers, accident: beyond the legal minimum Hull insurance pays for damage to your own aircraft, in flight, while taxiing and on the ground, or on the ground only, depending on the policy. Look at the agreed value, the deductible and whether engine damage and wear are excluded. Accident cover for pilot and occupants closes a gap many people miss: private accident and life policies often treat flying as a pilot separately. Check the terms of what you already hold. ## What is covered - Injury and property damage to third parties outside the aircraft - Defence against unjustified claims - Compliance with compulsory insurance under the Aviation Act, with a certificate - Passenger claims where passenger liability is agreed - Personal liability of the authorised pilot, depending on the policy - Hull: damage to your own aircraft in flight, taxiing and on the ground, if agreed - Accident: disability and death of pilot and occupants, if agreed ## What is not covered - Damage to your own or a borrowed aircraft without hull cover - Flights without a valid licence or rating, depending on the terms - Commercial flights under a policy for private use - Aerobatics and competitions unless included - Engine damage and wear under many hull policies - Countries outside the agreed territory ## Who needs it - Keepers of paragliders, hang gliders, paramotors and parachutes - Owners of ultralights, gliders, motor gliders and powered aircraft - Clubs and owner groups operating aircraft together - Pilots who rent or fly aircraft they do not own and want their own liability covered ## Who does not need it - Your own keeper policy if you only fly club aircraft and are demonstrably covered as pilot ## What it costs Keeper liability for a paraglider costs a fraction of what a powered aircraft costs. For hull cover, value and flying experience drive the premium. General ranges therefore say little. **What drives the premium:** - Type of aircraft and maximum take-off mass - Number of seats and whether you carry passengers - Sum insured above the legal minimum - Hull: value of the aircraft and deductible - Flying experience and who may fly - Use: private, club, training, towing - Territory _We do not quote ranges because premiums differ by orders of magnitude between a paraglider and an aeroplane. Your premium is only fixed in the quote._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Keeper liability:** The compulsory cover for third-party damage, with a certificate. Without it the aircraft may not fly. - **Keeper and passenger liability (CSL):** One combined limit for third parties and passengers. Usual for two-seaters, ultralights, gliders and powered aircraft. - **Liability plus hull and accident:** Adds your own aircraft and protection for pilot and occupants. For owners whose aircraft has real value. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Third-party limit | legal minimum by take-off mass | a flat limit of several million euros | The legal sum is a floor, and a serious injury can exceed it. | | Passenger liability | 250,000 units of account per passenger | combined single limit for third parties and passengers | You are separately liable to anyone you take along. | | Who may fly | named pilots only | any authorised pilot | In clubs and owner groups the pilot changes all the time. | | Territory | Germany | Europe or worldwide, with a certificate in English | Flying holidays and cross-country flights often end across a border. | | Hull: flight, taxi, ground | ground risk only | all risks in flight, taxiing and on the ground | Most damage happens on take-off and landing. | | Hull deductible | high or a percentage | fixed and low, lower on the ground than in flight | It decides what you are left with after a claim. | | Use | private only | training, towing and competitions included | Even a tow for the club can fall outside private use. | ## Insurers on the German market Aviation is a specialist market in Germany. Cover is written by the aviation units of large insurers and a few specialists, and for air sports equipment often through association group policies. Not every insurer writes every type of aircraft. This list is a market overview. - **Allianz**: Allianz's industrial and specialty insurer - **AXA**: own aviation line, including private pilots - **Zurich**: Swiss group, aviation insurance for business customers - **Generali**: Italian group, also found in aviation group policies - **Hübener**: Hamburg insurer specialising in aviation - **Euro-Aviation**: insurer focused on aviation - **Delvag**: insurer within the Lufthansa group 61 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Luftfahrzeug-Haftpflicht). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded. ## Typical claims and who pays - **Outlanding in a maize field** (crop damage, usually modest): Keeper liability pays the farmer. Damage to your own aircraft is a matter for hull cover. - **Paraglider hits a parked car** (repair of someone else's car): A classic third-party claim. The keeper is liable even if a gust was to blame. - **Passenger injured on landing** (injury claim, quickly six figures): Plain keeper liability only covers people outside the aircraft. Passengers need passenger liability. - **Nose gear collapses while taxiing** (repair of your own aircraft): No liability policy pays for your own aircraft. Hull cover must include the taxi risk. - **Pilot crashes and is disabled** (income and adaptations for years): Your own injuries are not a liability claim. Only accident cover that includes flying pays. - **Take-off with a lapsed licence** (the whole loss): If the damage results from the missing licence, even a strong policy will not pay or will seek recourse. ## Myth or truth - „If I injure someone with my paraglider, my personal liability policy pays." ✘ As a rule it does not. Personal liability policies usually exclude the use of aircraft. You need keeper liability under the Aviation Act. - „As keeper I am liable even if I did nothing wrong." ✔ True. The Aviation Act imposes strict liability. If a bystander is harmed in operation, the keeper is liable up to the statutory caps. - „Without a valid licence I can lose my cover." ✔ Correct. Where the damage results from the pilot not holding a valid licence, keeper liability does not respond under many terms. - „Keeper liability also replaces my own aircraft." ✘ No. It only pays for damage to others. Your own aircraft is insured through hull cover alone. - „The minimum cover depends on the weight of the aircraft." ✔ Yes. Maximum take-off mass decides. Below 500 kg it is 750,000 units of account, and the sums rise in steps above that. ## Common mistakes - Assuming personal liability insurance covers flying - Relying on a foreign policy without checking that it satisfies German law - Taking a passenger when the policy does not include passengers - Flying someone else's aircraft without knowing who the policy allows to fly - Taking off with an expired licence or medical - Flying abroad on a policy limited to Germany ## FAQ ### Do I need insurance for a paraglider in Germany? Yes. A paraglider is an aircraft once it leaves the ground, and the keeper must insure liability under the Aviation Act. Most pilots use their association's group policy. ### How high is the legal minimum? It depends on maximum take-off mass. Below 500 kg it is 750,000 units of account, roughly EUR 900,000, below 2,700 kg 3 million and below 6,000 kg 7 million units of account. ### Does German personal liability insurance cover flying? As a rule, no. Personal liability policies usually exclude the use of aircraft or only include small drones and model aircraft. Compulsory aviation liability needs its own policy or a group policy. ### What is CSL? Combined single limit: one sum insured for claims by third parties and by passengers. It is common for two-seaters and aeroplanes because one policy meets both duties. ### What applies if I carry passengers? For the carriage of passengers, section 103 of the Licensing Regulations sets a minimum of 250,000 units of account per person. Check before the first flight that your policy includes passengers. ### Will the insurer pay if my licence has lapsed? That is risky. Many policy terms release the insurer where the damage results from the pilot not holding a valid licence. Check licence, ratings and medical before every season. ### Am I covered in a club aircraft? The club is the keeper and must hold the liability policy. Whether you are covered as pilot and who bears the hull deductible is set out in the policy and the club rules. Ask before you fly. ### Can I get the certificate in English? Many insurers issue the insurance certificate in English on request. You will want it for airfields, competitions and flights outside Germany. ## Legal basis and sources - [Insurance Contract Act (VVG, German)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vvg_2008/) - [BaFin company database (licensed insurers)](https://portal.mvp.bafin.de/database/InstInfo/) ## Request quotes We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-aviation-insurance.php#anfrage --- Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.